Vacuum-cleaner.



R. B. SMITH.

VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.27,1912.

Patented Jan. 20, 191i VE NTOII f4M 1 W- ATTORNEYS BY $1M WITNESSES ROBERT B. SMITH, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MILLER LOCK COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

VACUUM-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Jan. 20, 1914.

Original application filed January 9, 1912, Serial No. 670,208. Divided and this application filed March 27,

To all whom it may concern: Y Be it known that 1, ROBERT R. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residin city and county of Philadelphia, tate of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Vacuum-Cleaner, of 'whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to portable vacuum cleaners, and it consists of an improved hood or'va'cuum-chamber and a nozzle therefor.

It further consists of improved means for closing the outer end of the vacuum-chamber and removably securing such closure.

It further consists of an improved suction-nozzle and means for detachably securing such nozzle in the cap closing the vacuum-chamber.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail one mechanical form embodying the invention, such detail construction being but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings :Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the hood or vacuum chamber of a vacuum-cleaner embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents an axial vertical section of the forward end of such chamber. Fig. 3 represents an axial horizontal section of the forwardend of the chamber, Fig. 4 represents an enlargedsection of a part of the forward end of the suction chamber and of its cap and a fastening screw and nut Fig. 5 represents a face view of the cap for the chamber. Fig. 6 represents a view of the rearside of the suction-nozzle and its disk. Fig. 7 represents a diametric section of the cap.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates a portion of the suctionchamber of a vacuum-cleaner, provided with pumps or similar means for creating suction, all of which forms noipart of my present invention, being disclosed in my application for Letters Patent, N 0. 670,208, for vacuum cleaner, filed byme on January 9, 1912, and of which application this present application is a division.

A forwardly tapering hood, 2, preferably in the SerialNo. 686,527.

of sheet-metal, and which forms the vacuumchamber, is secured in suitable manner to the front'end of the suction-chamber and communicates with the same to have a partial vacuum created in it when the apparatus is operated. An annular seat-frame is formed on the forward end of the-tapering hood by aring formed with a flange, 3, secured to the end of the hood, a. rounded annular seat, 4, and an inwardly projecting flange, 5, forming a ledge. Screw-bolts, 6, are secured. in the outer end of the hood and through the rearwardly projecting flange 3, and said bolts are preferably so arranged relative to each other, that the bolts at the upper side of the hood project at a distance from each other different from those at the under side, for purposes hereinafter explained. A cap, 7, fits with a rearwardly projecting flange,

'8, over the seat-frame of the hood, and is formed with an annular recess, 9, in its rear side, into which fits an annular gasket, 10,

which bears against the annular seat of'the frame when secured over the same. The flange of this cap is formed With bulges, 11, having open-ended slots, 12, terminating in round and bevel-edged openings, 13 which slots and openings register with the bolts upon the seat-frame, so that the cap may be fitted upon said-frame by sliding the slots upon the bolts until the latter project through the openings. Tapered thumb-nuts, 14, fit upon the radiating bolts and, when screwed inward upon the bolts and bearing with their 'taperlng portions within the openings in the flange of the cap, such tapering nuts willdraw the cap inward against the seat and tightly secure the cap upon the same. A dust-bag, 15, of material permeable to air but impermeable to dust, has a ring, 16, at its mouth, which ring rests upon the annular inwardly projecting ledgeflange of the seat-frame and is held against the same by the annular gasket and the cap.

A nozzle, 17 having a narrow slot, 18, and a duct, 19, similar to nozzles usually employed in vacuum cleaners, has a circular head, 20, from the flat rear face of which projects a neck, 21, to project through a circular opening, 22, in the center of the cap. Said neck has two diametrically projecting lugs, 23, and the opening in the cap has two radial slots, 2st, into which the lugs may be inserted to engage under the rim of the opening when the nozzle and head is rotated a one-quarter turn. The cap is formed with an annular rib, 25, and a gasket, 26, is interposed between said rib and the flat rear face of the head of the nozzle. For the purose of tightening the fit of said rib and gaslist, the rim of the 0 ening in the cap is deflected to form inc ined cam-surfaces, 27, each beginning at the edge of one radial slot and gradually merging into the level of the inner surface of the cap, and the radial lugs of the neck of the nozzle bear against these inclined cam-surfaces, so that the head of the nozzle will be drawn toward the face of the cap as the nozzle is turned. The head of the nozzle-structure has a radially projecting hook, 28, which engages a screw-bolt, 29, upon the cap, and may be clamped in .such engaged position by a tapering knurled nut, 30, by means of which the nozzle will be held in correct operative position.

7 By securing the neck of the dust-bag by means of the cap, such bag may be easily removed and emptied and agaln secured in place, it being only necessary to loosen the v tapering thumb-nuts sufiiciently to clear the ends of the latter from the flange of the cap, when the latter may he slipped ofi from the end of the vacuum-chamber, the bag removed and emptied, again replaced, and secured by the cap which will be drawn to its seat by the wedging action of the thumbnuts. By arranging the slots and enlarged openings in' the flangeof the cap and the screw-bolts upon the annular frame in such manner that the distance between the slots and bolts across the top dilfers from the distance between the slots and bolts across the sides and across the bottom, and the distance between the slots and bolts across the sides differs from that'across the bottom, it is impossible to fasten the cap in any mamier to the hood excepting in such manner that the nozzle will project downward when secured in the cap. The tapering thumb-nuts will draw the cap against the gasket and the annular seat of the frame upon theend of the hood, having a wedging action in the beveled openings in the flange, thus insuring airtight connection between the cap and the vacuum-chamber. The cam-flanges forming the edges of the central opening in the cap and engaged by the lugs of the neck upon the head of the nozzle, serve to draw the flat rear side of such head tightly a ainst the gasket and the annular rib upon t e face of the cap, thus insuring an airtight joint between the nozzle-structure and the cap.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed for the mode herein explained. Change may therefore be made as regards the mechanism thus dis closed, provided the principles of construction set forth, respectively in the following claim are employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure'by Let'- ters Patent, is i In a vacuum cleaner of the character stated, a tapering vacuum chamber having its forward end forming a round opening, an annular seat-frame comprising a r1n having a flange embracing the forward end of the chamber'and an annular rounded seat, screw-bolts projecting radially through the Wallsof the chamber adjacent the opening and the flange of the frame, anozzle cap formed with an annular gasket-seat and with a flange fitting the frame and having open-ended slots terminating in enlarged openings registering with the screw-bolts, a

yielding gasket in the gasket-seat and bearing upon the seat of the frame, and ta eringthumb-nuts upon the bolts adapte to enter the openings in the slots.

ROBERT B. SMITH.

G. D. MCVAY.

(topic: of thin patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentn,

Washington, D. G. r 

